Photo: Charles Owen
Wow, what a week! I’m so excited and so, so proud of my horse. It’s not often that things go to plan. Was it a perfect weekend? Not all the way, but that would have meant I’d have a new Rolex watch.
So where to start... Before I left for Rolex I was a bit nervous, not about my horse or myself, but about having missed ten days of riding because of JR shifting a shoe. I felt like I wasn’t in the same training mode that I had been in the whole season, which had gotten better and better, culminating with winning the dressage at Carolina. The break made him a bit edgier and fitter, and made me question how to get my horse back to where he had been or better.
This is such a mental sport, and it can be hard to get your head around it. I rode the four-star dressage test at Fair Hill the weekend before we left for Rolex and JR was really fresh and really hot. Then I had a cross-country school with Phillip that was less than ideal. I think JR needed to get his ya-ya’s out! So on the Sunday before Rolex, Tom and I set up some exercises in our back fields and I just cantered around. I think JR and I were finally able to breath for the first time since before The Fork.
Our drive to Kentucky was great, and I was thinking once again what an honor it is to compete there. I had a little ride-around on Tuesday and JR felt good and then a lesson on Wednesday with David to see what I had. We worked on keeping him round and deep when I went forward, and when I collected, on making him a bit higher than I would in the ring. We made sure I had the ability to change his hips in all three gaits. I felt like all the tools were there for me to capitalize on a good dressage test.
So where to start... Before I left for Rolex I was a bit nervous, not about my horse or myself, but about having missed ten days of riding because of JR shifting a shoe. I felt like I wasn’t in the same training mode that I had been in the whole season, which had gotten better and better, culminating with winning the dressage at Carolina. The break made him a bit edgier and fitter, and made me question how to get my horse back to where he had been or better.
This is such a mental sport, and it can be hard to get your head around it. I rode the four-star dressage test at Fair Hill the weekend before we left for Rolex and JR was really fresh and really hot. Then I had a cross-country school with Phillip that was less than ideal. I think JR needed to get his ya-ya’s out! So on the Sunday before Rolex, Tom and I set up some exercises in our back fields and I just cantered around. I think JR and I were finally able to breath for the first time since before The Fork.
Our drive to Kentucky was great, and I was thinking once again what an honor it is to compete there. I had a little ride-around on Tuesday and JR felt good and then a lesson on Wednesday with David to see what I had. We worked on keeping him round and deep when I went forward, and when I collected, on making him a bit higher than I would in the ring. We made sure I had the ability to change his hips in all three gaits. I felt like all the tools were there for me to capitalize on a good dressage test.
Photo: Tylir Penton On Thursday I had good lesson with Jacquie Brooks and to be honest, it was probably the best my horse has ever gone. If had done in the ring what she got out of us, we would have rivaled Allison’s test. She worked on reminding me where to sit on JR, to stay over his largest rib and to keep my position by half-halting him back to me instead of me changing for him. Jacquie always has great analogies for whatever point she’s trying to get across, like, “Try not to be the bug on the windshield,” for don’t let him pull you forward, hold your core when you ride, and “Feel like you’re on a balance board on one foot,” meaning stay as still as you can by engaging different muscles as you need them to stay balanced and always try to keep yourself in the center of your horse by engaging your core.
Jacquie warmed me up on Friday and I was really proud of my horse and my test. It wasn’t quite as fluid as Carolina; our trot work wasn’t bad but I lost some points in the halt and rein back, and I think the canter could have been more fluid. I missed one change, and one change was not completely through.
Jacquie warmed me up on Friday and I was really proud of my horse and my test. It wasn’t quite as fluid as Carolina; our trot work wasn’t bad but I lost some points in the halt and rein back, and I think the canter could have been more fluid. I missed one change, and one change was not completely through.
Photo: Alex Thomas
Photo: Charles Ownen I liked the cross-country course, and had great advice how to ride it from Bruce Davidson, Buck Davidson and my all-time great mentor, Phillip. They all have similar perspectives, and I used each one of them to formulate my own plan. I walked the course Saturday morning, watched Buck go around on his first horse, watched more go through Mensa, and decided not to watch too much after that. Mensa is a good one for me to see on the flat and jumping because he’s a lot like JR, small with a large step and can be a bit hot.
Getting on I felt prepared and I had good warm-up. I decided to go the long way at the first water because I didn’t want to have stupid 20 that early on. I wanted to jump clean, I knew I had a really fast horse, and I knew because of our win at Fair Hill he should be up to the task. The highlights of our round would be the coffin, the key hole, the Head of the Lake and the Normandy Bank. I thought they rode just the way I wanted them to ride. I was on my minute markers the whole way until the cabins at 25 a and b. I’m not sure what happened, but it was not the best jump coming out and luckily I have a horse that fights for his balance and so do I. We ended up staying on our feet by the skin of our teeth and jumped the last two jumps with great style. I was bummed to have a few time but still thrilled.
Getting on I felt prepared and I had good warm-up. I decided to go the long way at the first water because I didn’t want to have stupid 20 that early on. I wanted to jump clean, I knew I had a really fast horse, and I knew because of our win at Fair Hill he should be up to the task. The highlights of our round would be the coffin, the key hole, the Head of the Lake and the Normandy Bank. I thought they rode just the way I wanted them to ride. I was on my minute markers the whole way until the cabins at 25 a and b. I’m not sure what happened, but it was not the best jump coming out and luckily I have a horse that fights for his balance and so do I. We ended up staying on our feet by the skin of our teeth and jumped the last two jumps with great style. I was bummed to have a few time but still thrilled.
Photo: PRO
JR was awesome Saturday night and Sunday morning, other than trying to knock me out Sunday morning when I was hand walking him and he spooked at some horses and pushed me to the ground. I let go of him, which was scary—thank God he didn’t run away! He jogged great and warmed up for show jumping really well. I liked the course and thought I could have maybe ridden it a bit smoother, but I know my horse tried really hard. I did have a front rail on the easiest jump on course—I made him a bit too flat so he had it down behind. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t do that again in a thousand tries! Once I settled from that, I thought my horse jumped great.
As always I have things I’d like to make better. I would have loved clean rounds and to finish on my dressage score, but right now I’m so excited for my horse and know the best is yet to come and that just thrills me to death. Watch out, I think we might have a four star win or two in us!
Thank you so much to all the people who helped me get to this point. I’m especially grateful to Phillip Dutton, Bruce and Buck Davidson and Jacqueline Brooks, and the entire Surefire Team.
As always I have things I’d like to make better. I would have loved clean rounds and to finish on my dressage score, but right now I’m so excited for my horse and know the best is yet to come and that just thrills me to death. Watch out, I think we might have a four star win or two in us!
Thank you so much to all the people who helped me get to this point. I’m especially grateful to Phillip Dutton, Bruce and Buck Davidson and Jacqueline Brooks, and the entire Surefire Team.
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